Where's the Joy? • Ecclesiastes 6

 Even if someone lived a thousand years — make it two thousand! — 

but didn't enjoy anything, what's the point? 

Doesn't everyone end up in the same place? 

We work to feed our appetites; 

meanwhile our souls go hungry. 

 

Ecclesiastes 6:6-7
•

It all seemed so good —
all the things I gave myself to.

Words of praise were given —
smiles of affirmation shined.

Come, this is just right for you —
you don't want to miss out!

Use your gifts —
they bless us so!

We miss out when you
aren't giving, sharing, doing.

Frustration grows
as weariness sets in.

Have to replaces get to.
Do I have to?

Shh. Shh.

Who's voice leads me?
Who leads me to quiet waters
and green pastures?

You give joy today —
Your burden is light
the yoke you place on me is easy.

All the words fill the air like smoke.
Clear them away Lord.

Speak to me in the silence.
I have quieted my heart,
I am tuning my ears to hear Your voice.

Teach me Your ways,
lead me in Your path.

My joy comes from You alone.

Joy in the Present • Ecclesiastes 5

 

 

Yes, we should make the most of what God gives, 

both the bounty and the capacity to enjoy it, 

accepting what's given and delighting in the work. 

It's God's gift! 

God deals out joy in the present, the now. 

It's useless to brood over how long we might live. 

 

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20

Watch your step when you enter God's house. 

Enter to learn. That's far better than 

mindlessly offering a sacrifice. 

Doing more harm than good. 

Don't shoot off your mouth, or speak before you think. 

Don't be too quick to tell God what you 

think He wants to hear. God's in charge, not you — 

the less you speak, the better. 

 

Ecclesiastes 5:1-2

•

To walk this path
You have laid before me,
in joy, is possible today.

Taking delight
in the life I have been given,
finding purpose in the work
You've assigned my days
is a gift from Your hand.

I quiet my heart, silence my mouth
and enter Your presence.

Watching You,
Watering my heart and mind with
Your Word,
I learn how to live.

So deadly to my life, to my joy,
are the lying thoughts planted
by the one who would steal all
that I have, all that You have given.

Still before You
I shut out all the voices
training my heart to hear
You alone.

Quiet now,
I listen,
I receive,
I live.

•

When Your words came, I ate them; 

they were my joy and my heart's delight, 

for I bear Your name, O Lord God Almighty. 

 

Jeremiah 15:16

We use our powerful God-tools for 

smashing warped philosophies, tearing down barriers 

erected against the truth of God, 

fitting every loose thought and emotion 

and impulse into the structure of life shaped by Christ. 

 

2 Corinthians 10:5

 

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. 

 

Proverbs 4:23

Quotes from "Dancing With my Father" by Sally Clarkson

"The key is, when our heart is troubled we need to believe in God. Maintaining a moment by moment walk in the power of the Holy Spirit means that we continually practice trusting in God, believing in His reality, living in the confidence that He will work all things together for our good."

"Belief is the antidote for a troubled heart: believing in God, believing that He is with us, believing that He is good, believing that He can take care of our trouble, believing in His presence with us every minute, and not looking to the limitations of our circumstances!"

"Walking in joy, by the resources of the Holy Spirit who abides in me, is simply believing in Him, turning our eyes to Him, leaning on Him. Simple faith."

It takes time

 

It is illustrated all over life.

Growth takes time.

A huge tree starts out as a tiny seed.

It doesn't just spring up out of the ground one day a full grown tree.

The seed has to be planted in the right conditions – good soil, the right amount of sunlight and water – and given time in order to one day end up with a tree. 

And what about people?

Having carried six little lives within my body – five are currently in my care and one is with Jesus – I have experienced first hand how they each started out as tiny, tiny bits to eventually seemingly growing before our eyes as they dig through the fridge. 

 

Growing from a tiny life within to a grown person takes time. 

  

  

I know this and accept that growth takes time in the physical world, so why have I not made that connection in the spiritual world?

I am starting to see that I believed that spiritual fruit – things like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc. – should just suddenly appear in my life (or in others' lives for that matter). 

No wonder I get frustrated with myself for not being more loving or joyful or patient.... growth takes time. But I wasn't allowing for time and the right conditions to produce growth. 

I just want the fruit and I want it now!

But, alas, that is not how God works in our lives.

I am currently reading "Dancing with My Father" by Sally Clarkson. 

In the chapters I read yesterday and this morning she addresses this reality.

"Spiritual training takes place over a long period of time – from baby to mature adult; from immaturity to godly wisdom. Learning to dance isn't an instant accomplishment; it's a lengthy process of learning (and sometimes relearning) to let go of these things that bind us in order to be free to hold the hand of the Lord, as He is the source of joy. He will teach us the dance, but we first must empty our hands so that we are free to hold His hand."

"God is not so much concerned with my immediate gratification as He is with the development of my soul."

 "God doesn't grow us in character and joy quickly. He has a long-term perspective for me. He sees the training process over a period of years and is always seeking to move me ahead in my character."

Growth comes through tests and trials that God allows in our lives.

And growth takes time.

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.  -- James 1:2-4

While we are going through these tests and challenges, it is usually painful or at least not very enjoyable. But going through them and learning in them and from them is worth it.

I was thinking about the joy that comes from passing the tests and how this is illustrated in marriage. 

My husband and I have been married for almost 17 years. 

Not as long as some – as I think of my friend who had been married for 61 years when he went home to be with the Lord – but long enough for me to see the beginnings of the fruit of joy that comes from our growth together in our relationship. 

We had no idea when we were first in love and dating what deep joy would eventually come into our lives as we learned to live and work together as one flesh. I can only imagine that the joy and love will deepen and grow as our children grow and move on to their own lives apart from us. 

These fruits are part of a faithful marriage. 

But they do not come without time, tests and work. 

It may seem as we look at others' lives that they may have it easier than we do. We many not want the trials or tests that God has allowed in our lives.

"Often it seems we would rather have another life – any life – thank our own. Somehow we think if we lived a different life, it would be easier for us to grow in faithfulness and spiritual character. Yet it is in accepting today with all of its issues, in accepting God's will and training grounds that we learn the secret of joy in His presence. It is in being faithful to our own set of tests that we become mature and fitted for the ministry He has called each of us to accomplish. "

 "Our integrity as people of God will come by walking the path that He has given to us. We will not have this fulfillment, satisfaction, or joy if we compromise our ideals and resist the tests that God puts in our pathway."   -- Sally Clarkson in "Dancing with My Father"

Thankfully, we do not have to walk this path alone, nor do this work in our own strength.

We pray that you'll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul—not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.  -- Colossians 1:10-12

Yes, growth takes time, but it is so worth it.

Prayer from Colossians 1

Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, 

we haven't stopped praying for you, 

asking God to give you wise minds and spirits 

attuned to his will, and so acquire a thorough understanding 

of the ways in which God works. 

We pray that you'll live well for the Master, 

making him proud of you as you work hard 

in his orchard. As you learn more and more

how God works, you will learn how to do your work.

We pray that you'll have the strength

to stick it out over the long haul—

not the grim strength of gritting your teeth

but the glory-strength God gives.

It is strength that endures the unendurable

and spills over into joy, thanking the Father

who makes us strong enough to take part

in everything bright and beautiful that he has for us.

~ Colossians 1:9-12 ~ 

 

I haven't been super faithful about praying for my kids. But as I read this today I realized that I wanted these verses to be true for them. I want them to be true for me and my husband, and for you too!

Wise minds and spirits attuned to His will.

A thorough understanding of the ways God works.

Working hard at God's work, watching Him closely, following His example.

Full of the glory-strength that only He can give. 

Spilling over with joy and thanksgiving.

Strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful He has for us.

Once again I see that it is all about Him. He is our Source, He is our Example, He is the Creator and the Planner and the One who gives Purpose and Wisdom and Understanding. 

He provides the work and the strength to do it. He fills us with joy as we follow Him doing the work He has prepared for us to do. 

Oh Holy Spirit work God's love into my life, into my kids' lives, and my huband's life. Continue to draw us always back to You. Be first and foremost in our minds and our hearts. Open our eyes to see You all around us. Help us to be God revealers to all we come in contact with. Thank You for being our All-in-All.

The Greatest Job in the World

God is higher than anything and anyone,
      outshining everything you can see in the skies.
   Who can compare with God, our God,
      so majestically enthroned,
   Surveying his magnificent
      heavens and earth?
   He picks up the poor from out of the dirt,
      rescues the wretched who've been thrown out with the trash,
   Seats them among the honored guests,
      a place of honor among the brightest and best.
   He gives childless couples a family,
      gives them joy as the parents of children.
   Hallelujah! 

~ Psalm 113:4-9 ~

It all started with a simple request.

Well, it was really more like an observation that moved on to a suggestion.

It wasn't a command or an order.

Just a simple suggestion made while shaving.

In my hormone drunk brain it sounded like a judgment.

"You are not doing enough. You are a poor housekeeper, so bad that your husband has to point out things that need to be done and tell you how to make them get done."

You are failing.

Once again I dove right into that big pool of self-pity.

Of self-blame.

Of pride?

You bet.

I swam around and around in that pool even while I slept. Waking in the dark with thoughts swirling in my head.

How can I do better? How can I do more?

I know, I need to write up a schedule and make copies and hand them out to all the kids and then go over these schedules with them, giving them each special new jobs and then...

"Come to Me." (Psalm 27:8)

"Hello? Is someone talking to me?"

"Have you talked to Me about all this?"

"Ummmm, well, not for a while. Not for a long time, really."

Once again, in the quiet of the early morning living room I poured out all the poison in my head and let it flow out at the feet of my Saviour.

What a huge burden I had made out of a simple suggestion.

So much was uncovered as I laid bare my heart before my Lord.

Once again He showed me all my efforts aren't going to help. A new schedule isn't what I need. Snapping to and making the kids tow the line isn't going to bring what is needed.

God can do anything, you know—

far more than you could ever imagine or guess 

or request in your wildest dreams! 

He does it not by pushing us around 

but by working within us, 

his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

~ Ephesians 3:20 ~

What I need is Him.

I need to let Him come and work within me.

Changing the way I think. (Romans 12:2 ~ I love that verse!)

And so, I jotted down a list for the day into my prayer journal and moved forward into the morning. Waiting for His leading, but not really sure how it would come.

So, I got my breakfast going and started in a batch of buns and of course turned on the computer.

At (In)Courage, I read,

"Moms, I'm specifically talking to us today.  Do we love our job?

Gulp!

Do I love my job? I'll have to think about that one.

I like it, sometimes, but too often the "job" part is a lot of thankless, unnoticed work.

Am I supposed to love it?

Somewhere in between adding cups of flour to my bun dough I realized I was smiling.

I realized that I felt so much lighter.

And dare I say it?

I felt joy.

I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!

—on the road God called you to travel. 

I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. 

I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. 

And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—

not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other 

in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

~ Ephesians 4: 1-3 ~

So where does all this leave me?

What do I do with what the Lord is showing me this morning?

I have a calling to the greatest job in the world.

I have been called to be a wife, a mother, a homemaker.

Lately, because I have been trying to this job in my own strength, apart from my Source, I have grown to see my calling as a chore, a burden, something that was too much and not what I wanted to do, but had to do.

Something that I was failing at in so many ways.

But this morning, He reminded me that I am not supposed to do this on my own, in my own "strength".

He equips those He calls! (Ephesians 3:8)

He gives me strength and rest. He restores my soul. (Psalm 46:1, Psalm 23)

He is my source of joy. (Psalm 43:4)

He makes me soar on wings of eagles. (Isaiah 40:31)

Apart from Him I can do nothing. (John 15)

So, why do I keep trying?

Over and over, I'm sure I will have to be retaught this lesson.

Thankfully, He is patient with me and is gently leading me.

He tends his flock like a shepherd: 

He gathers the lambs in his arms  

and carries them close to his heart; 

he gently leads those that have young.

 ~ Isaiah 40:11 ~

There is so much more.

But what it comes down to is I need Him.

And He is all you need, too.

Where does my joy come from?

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
      I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
 I will be filled with joy because of you.
      I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.
Psalm 9:1-2

I've been missing some things.

Some vital things for life.

My joy and peace have been taken.

Or have I given them away?

My enemies are discontentment, discouragement, anger, fear, anxiety, doubt, depression...

They sneak in so stealthily, looking to steal all that gives color and music to my life.

Amazingly, I seem to so easily surrender to them.

Easily handing over that which is mine.

And so, as I realize that I have been robbed, left wanting, I begin the search to retrieve what has been taken.

Joy and peace do not come from what is around me, from what I see.

That I know for sure.

My enemies retreated;
      they staggered and died when you appeared.
 For you have judged in my favor;
      from your throne you have judged with fairness.
 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked;
      you have erased their names forever.
 The enemy is finished, in endless ruins;
      the cities you uprooted are now forgotten.
Psalm 9:3-6

Do I choose to sit in the dirt and mire, singing dirges with my enemies?

Do I lift my head and see beyond the daily mess and praise and thank You?

The Lord is a shelter for the oppressed,
      a refuge in times of trouble.
 Those who know your name trust in you,
      for you, O Lord, do not abandon those who search for you. 
Sing praises to the Lord who reigns in Jerusalem.
      Tell the world about his unforgettable deeds.
Psalm 9:9-11


No doubt about it! God is good— good to good people, 
good to the good-hearted.
   But I nearly missed it,
      missed seeing his goodness.
   I was looking the other way...
Psalm 73:1-2


You're all I want in heaven!
      You're all I want on earth!
   When my skin sags and my bones get brittle,
      God is rock-firm and faithful.
   Look! Those who left you are falling apart!
      Deserters, they'll never be heard from again.
   But I'm in the very presence of God—
      oh, how refreshing it is!
   I've made Lord God my home.
      God, I'm telling the world what you do! 
Psalm 73:25-28

Acknowledging the Blessings

Give thanks in all circumstances 
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 
1 Thess. 5:18

I am surrounded by blessings. They are everywhere. But when I refuse to see them, refuse to acknowledge them and give thanks for them, I am missing them completely.

This morning I had the unusual opportunity to be alone in the quiet of our early morning home. I sat and read God's Word and talked with Him, laying before Him my hurt and confusion and disappointment. I felt so weighed down by it all. And the weight just seemed to be getting greater. I just kept seeing more and more things that I am not, ways that I don't measure up or things that I cannot do. I started to despair that I had no joy and I had no idea at the moment how to get it back.

But God is so faithful.

He reminded me, oh so patiently, that joy is in me because He is in me. I just have to acknowledge it. I have to open my eyes to all that surrounds me, that He has done in me and for me, and give thanks for it.

My friend Amaryllis sent me a devotion this morning. It was not a coincidence that it spoke directly to my need. God was just making sure I got the point. Things may not be going the way I hoped or planned or think they should. I may not be doing as well as I think I should. My kids may not be who I think they should be. But, when I focus on what they are not, I miss what they are. I miss the beauty, the joy that is all around me.

I'm asking the Lord to help me to see the blessings that surround me today. And I am choosing to acknowledge them, giving thanks to my Heavenly Father who is the Giver of every good and perfect gift.